The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1053 page)

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(early 13th cent.).
Spanish Jewish translator and poet. A staunch supporter of
Maimonides
, he translated,
inter alia
,
al-Ghaz(z)
l
, and the Arabic text
Barlaam
and Joasaph. Published as
Ben ha-Melekh ve-ha-Nazir
(The Son of the King and a Nazarite, 1518), in Ibn Hasdai's version went through many edns.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(994–1064 (AH 384–456)).
Spanish Muslim philosopher, theologian, poet, and jurist, the chief codifier of the
hir
ya
(literalist) school of law and theology. An intellectual giant, his tongue was said to be as sharp as a sword. Ibn
azm is said to have written 400 works.
Ibn
azm's major work
Kit
b al-fa
l
(Book of the Harvest) dealt with the subject of God, his nature and attributes, freewill and predestination, faith, life after death, and the Imamate. For Ibn
azm the only union possible with God is the union of understanding (
fahm
) and obeying his commands. The emotional consequences of life lived in
isl
m
(allegiance to God) were explored by him in
The Ring of the Dove
[or
Necklace of the Dove
].